Determining fitness to drive is a major concern affecting aging and disabled populations, particularly concerning reduced cognitive functioning, functional limitations and reduced vision [1, 2]. The Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents encourages aging drivers to maintain their licence (for independence, mobility and quality of life), emphasising that prematurely removing someone’s driving licence negatively affects their quality of life - the consequences of which outweigh the chance of being involved in a collision, for both the driver and the remainder of society [3]. The gold standard test in the United Kingdom (UK) to determine the ability to drive is an on-road driving assessment, and clinicians have the opportunity to refer patients to an independent Mobility Centre (accredited by Driving Mobility) where an assessment will be performed based upon on-road driving experience as judged by a professional driving instructor and occupational therapist[4]. The assessment is resource expensive and only a limited number of individuals are referred. To date no screening test is clinically implemented in the UK which accurately determines fitness to drive[4]. This study sets out to evaluate the potential of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) as a screening tool, for people with concerns regarding cognitive capacity; to determine pass/fail cuts offs for on-road driving assessment.
Esser, PDent, SJones, CSheridan, BBradley, AWade, DDawes, H
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences\Department of Sport and Health Sciences
Year of publication: 2015Date of RADAR deposit: 2016-02-17